RFC 463 (rfc463) - Page 2 of 3


FTP comments and response to RFC 430



Alternative Format: Original Text Document



RFC 463           FTP Comments and Response to RFC 430     February 1973


    Item A8 - Yes.

    Item B - There are at least two ways to solve the FTP parameter
    encoding problem presented by Bob Braden. One is to allow multiple
    letter in the TYPE command as suggested by Bob and the other is to
    have a new command such as FORM (which could be P or U). Other
    solutions are equally acceptable to me.

    Item C - Our emphasis should be on working protocol as well as
    elegance. I like the proposed GSOC command over the listen.  In fact
    GSOC can be used for all data connection security checking. The 255
    reply should be sent with GSOC only, and the server should use only
    those sockets for data connection.

    Item D - We need more discussion on the issue of site dependent FTP
    parameters. I will put it on the agenda for the forthcoming FTP
    meeting.

FURTHER COMMENTS

    1. The command-reply sequence needs to be tightened in both
    specification and implementations to allow convenient use of FTP by
    programs or "automatons".

    2. A 300 reply greeting upon first connecting to the FTP server
    should be required and not optional. This avoids the programs having
    to wait an arbitrary time for such a greeting before issuing
    commands. Commands may only be sent after the 300 reply is received
    from the server.

    3. RFC 454 needs a discussion of transfer between two FTP servers
    arranged by the user via the LSTN or GSOC commands.

    4. Perhaps we should allow specification of data transfer parameters
    in a single command line (for reasons of efficiency).  A suggested
    format is to have  separate the parameters bunched together in a
    single line (requiring only a single reply).  Consider the following
    sequences:
            STRU F TYPE I BYTE 36 MODE S 
            reply - 200 OK

    5. Further discussion of MAIL and MAIL.file commands seems
    necessary. Perhaps we will get some useful input from the MAIL
    meeting at SRI on February 23, The following issues seem
    particularly relevant to me:
        a) Allowing mail to multiple users. It should be required that
    FTP servers allow this.




Bhushan